BIRKENSTOCK CELEBRATES TWO AND A HALF CENTURIES OF TRADITION IN SHOEMAKING

Birkenstock is celebrating a milestone in its rich shoemaking heritage of quality, craftsmanship and innovation, which dates back to 1774. The brand is commemorating the occasion with several notable initiatives across the world.

BENGALURU, India, Oct. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The global purpose and Zeitgeist brand, Birkenstock marks 250 years of tradition in shoemaking, a remarkable journey from a humble shoemaker’s workshop to a global icon. This journey not only honors Birkenstock’s deep-rooted tradition but also celebrates its rich heritage and underscores its profound cultural relevance. For decades, BIRKENSTOCK has influenced subcultures, inspired leading designers and resonated with individuals around the world.

This enduring heritage and rich archive are now captured in the highly anticipated publication “THE BOOK OF BIRKENSTOCK”. Complementing this, a first-of-its-kind digital encyclopaedia, the curated book multiple “OLD MILLS NEVER DIE” and the travelling photo exhibition “WALK THIS WAY” further showcase the brand’s impact.

BIRKENSTOCK 250 EVENT IN INDIA

Birkenstock celebratory event of 250 years in Bengaluru, India on 28^th of Sept.’24, was a testament to the brand’s commitment to excellence and craftsmanship. It showcased various brand archive images, tools, materials, latest collections, select pieces from the premium Birkenstock 1774 collection, amongst other things.

The “WALK THIS WAY” exhibition by H. Leutwyler that has travelled all the way from Germany was one of the key highlights at the event. The exhibition beautifully communicates the brand’s essence and milestones of two and a half centuries. The event also displayed the Birkenstock HOURGLASS EXHIBITION, which shows the brand’s historical journey, including its first footwear models, archival tools, Birkenstock shoe lasts, which later led to the discovery of the Birkenstock footbed, designs, literature and documents from the brand’s inception days, alongside Birkenstock’s collaboration with luxury brands.

In addition to the brand exhibitions, what caught attention was the original Arizona sandals of the former CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs. These sandals, which are a testimony to the brand’s quality and timelessness, were at display for the very first time in India.

The fresh new Fall-Winter’24 collection with latest product drops and stunning updates in colors, buckles, materials and designs, excited many at the event. The brand has truly, effortlessly merged comfort and elegance in its seasonal collection. The new collection is available on the brand’s website and their stores across India.

The spirit of the entire event was summed-up in a Sand Art show, which celebrated and elaborated on the key moments of the brand’s 250 years of tradition in shoemaking, leaving the audience in awe of the legacy and community the brand has built over the years.

VISUAL CELEBRATION: A ONE-OF-A-KIND CONTENT SERIES

The “BOOK OF BIRKENSTOCK” is a monumental publication created by BIRKENSTOCK, designed by the acclaimed Munich-based design agency Bureau Borsche and co-published by Steidl Publishers from Göttingen, Germany. This 688-page volume offers a lush, visual journey through BIRKENSTOCK’s extensive archive, revealing the brand’s rich heritage in stunning detail. The book captures a wide range of never-before-seen archive materials, including first advertisements and scribbles, original photo material, marketing materials from private estates and public archives, iconic brand campaigns, trend defining fashion editorials from Japan, the USA or France and snapshots from fans wearing their Birks around the globe. The book serves as a definitive record of the brand’s impact on footwear, fashion, and culture and is available at select bookstores in India.

Complementing the book, BIRKENSTOCK launches a groundbreaking DIGITAL BRAND ENCYCLOPAEDIA, an innovative and mobile-friendly digital archival experience. This microsite reflects the “BOOK OF BIRKENSTOCK” and takes it to the digital sphere, making the content accessible to even more fans of the brand. The immersive platform features visual archives, curated narratives and over 600 archival images, including editorial content, VIP sightings, movie appearances, drawings, product shots and advertising material. The platform will be the go-to destination for every brand-aficionado and will be live in India later in the year.

Rounding up the celebration of 250 years in shoemaking and shining further light on the BIRKENSTOCK archive, a curated photo exhibition called “WALK THIS WAY” by Henry Leutwyler will travel the globe until the end of the year. Making Leutwyler’s unique artistic perspective on BIRKENSTOCK accessible to a global audience, a collection of photographs will be exhibited in more than 25 locations such as Tokyo, Paris, Bali, Sao Paolo, Melbourne, London, Shanghai and Munich.

INFORMATION FOR EDITORIAL TEAMS

Still Life Product Imagery (Book of Birkenstock)

Creative Product Imagery (Book of Birkenstock + The Evolution of a universal Purpose and Zeitgeist Brand)

Selected Archive Imagery (Book of Birkenstock)

ABOUT BIRKENSTOCK

BIRKENSTOCK is a global brand which embraces all consumers regardless of geography, gender, age and income and which is committed to a clear purpose – maintaining foot health. Deeply rooted in studies of the biomechanics of the human foot and footed on a family tradition of shoemaking that can be traced back to 1774, BIRKENSTOCK is a timeless «super brand» with a brand universe that transcends product categories and ranges from entry-level to luxury price points while addressing the growing need for a conscious and active lifestyle. Function, quality and tradition are the core values of the lifestyle brand which features products in the footwear, sleep systems and natural cosmetics segments. BIRKENSTOCK is the inventor of the footbed and has shaped the principle of walking as intended by nature (“Naturgewolltes Gehen”).

With around 6,200 employees worldwide, we believe how things are made matters as much as the product itself. To ensure these quality standards, we operate a vertically integrated manufacturing base and produce all our footbeds in Germany. In addition, we assemble over 95% of our products in Germany and we source over 90% of our materials and components from Europe. We process our inputs to the highest environmental and social standards in the industry by operating state-of-the-art scientific laboratories for materials testing. Headquartered in Linz am Rhein, the BIRKENSTOCK Group also operates its own sales offices in the United States and Canada as well as in Brazil, Japan, Denmark, Poland, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, the United Kingdom, France, Norway, the Netherlands, Dubai, Singapore and India.